Company Name
Wilsonart
Search Job Title
General Manager, Distribution Operations
Client Profile
Wilsonart is a global manufacturer and distributor of engineered surfaces and decorative products, including laminate, quartz, solid surface, and other materials used in commercial and residential spaces. Its products are primarily used for countertops, cabinetry, walls, furniture, and other interior applications. The company sells through distributors, dealers, contractors, architects, designers, and other commercial channels across North America and internationally.
Role Objectives & Challenges
Wilsonart’s growth provided a one of a kind opportunity to decouple sales and operations functions. Each of these verticals required dedicated leadership rather than singular management by one person. Future growth plans encouraged this redesign which led them to pursue the hiring of an established operations leader strictly focused on distribution performance and scalability. The role would provide leadership across branch and warehouse operations, inventory forecasting and planning, sourcing, transportation and fleet operations, customer service, safety, and continuous improvement. The executive would also play an important role in network optimization, acquisitions, greenfield expansion, facility strategy, and the development of more consistent operating practices across locations. Wilsonart needed a leader who could think strategically while remaining close to operations and employees in the field. Experience within B2B building materials or a similar distribution environment was particularly important, along with a track record of leading company-owned, multi-site operations and partnering effectively with sales. Wilsonart built out this role as a Senior Director position. The position was initially structured as a Senior Director role, which created an additional recruiting challenge. Candidates with the appropriate scope of experience could sit at the Director, Senior Director, or Vice President level depending on their organization. SCM Talent Group recognized that adhering too closely to the original title could unnecessarily restrict the candidate pool.
Our Approach to Solve the Search
SCM Talent Group developed a targeted sourcing strategy focused on B2B building materials and industrial distribution companies with operating models similar to Wilsonart's. The search emphasized executives with experience leading company-owned branches, inventory-intensive distribution operations, local delivery networks, and geographically dispersed teams. The search initially concentrated on the Texas market before expanding nationally. Candidates were evaluated across multi-site operations, inventory and logistics, fleet management, network optimization, acquisitions and integrations, greenfield development, Lean and continuous improvement, and their ability to partner with commercial leadership. SCM Talent Group identified an especially strong candidate within approximately two weeks of launching the search. The candidate brought deep building materials and company-owned distribution experience, but his previous leadership level exceeded the original Senior Director parameters. Rather than eliminating an exceptionally well-qualified candidate because of title and level, SCM Talent Group presented the opportunity transparently to Wilsonart and recommended that the company evaluate the candidate based on his fit with the actual scope of the role. At the same time, the search continued to ensure Wilsonart had a competitive slate against which to evaluate the early frontrunner. Wilsonart ultimately evaluated three serious contenders, with two advancing to onsite interviews. Throughout the process, SCM Talent Group worked closely with Wilsonart to calibrate the position around the available market and the level of leadership required.
The Hire & Results
Wilsonart ultimately selected the candidate identified during the opening weeks of the search. He brought extensive leadership experience across building products, industrial distribution, logistics, and supply chain, with a strong track record leading company-owned, multi-site distribution operations. His previous accomplishments included significant improvements in profitability, operating expenses, inventory performance, and logistics and transportation costs. He had also led distribution network redesigns, facility consolidations, greenfield startups, WMS implementations, centralized dispatch initiatives, acquisition integrations, and other large-scale operational transformations. The candidate's experience and seniority prompted an important adjustment to the original position. Rather than remaining with the Senior Director title, Wilsonart and SCM Talent Group collaborated on General Manager, Distribution Operations, which better reflected the scope of the role and the experience of the successful candidate. The search was completed in less than 60 days. The successful candidate had been identified early, but SCM Talent Group continued developing the market and provided Wilsonart with a competitive slate before the company made its final decision. The placement gave Wilsonart an experienced distribution executive capable of strengthening operational performance while building the structure needed to support continued expansion of its company-owned distribution network. It also demonstrated the value of a consultative search process that went beyond matching candidates to an initial title and instead focused on aligning the role, market, and leadership experience required for Wilsonart's next stage of growth.
